Trust and Betrayal
by IvyJaylovescandy
Summary: This was not how Megumi thought her day would go. Trapped in a school with a bunch if strangers and told by an anomatronic rabbit that she's in a killing game. Magic isn't going to save her this time.


Megumi's head shot up from the desk with a jolt. She was gasping for breath, so it took a few minutes to catch her breath before she took note of her surroundings.

She was sitting at an old desk covered in dust and rust which she instantly shot away from, frantically dusting her clothes off. Luckily her clothes hadn't become too filthy. She lightly dusted off the sleeves of her white button-up shirt. She wore a pretty red vest red buttoned vest, and a dark red skirt, both of which appeared to have been spared from the dust.

A single lightbulb was all that allowed her to see the room. There were a few rows of desks in similar condition, with a chalkboard on the fall wall. The words "Welcome Students, To Hope's Peak!" were written in faded chalk, as though it had been a long time since someone had written them.

_A classroom? But... I start school next week... Right?_ Megumi thought to herself, her head hurting in confusion. She still felt a bit dizzy as she swayed slightly on her feet. _How did I even get here?_ The thought struck her, causing her breath to suddenly catch in her throat.

She couldn't remember anything. If she was at school, that had to mean that she'd blanked out for an entire week... That couldn't be right... She felt her head for any bumps, but found nothing. No explanation from that end. So, obviously someone brought her here. _But why?_

Megumi's heart beat loudly in her chest as she took note of the rest of the scene. The windows were barred shut, and she couldn't even see out the window. Everything was just... Black. It wasn't even like it was dark. It was more like someone had painted over the windows.

"What the heck?" She wondered aloud, her blood going cold. "What kind of school is this?" She muttered backing up a few paces, feeling her legs hit the desk, momentarily keeping her from retreating any farther. Hope's Peak shouldn't look like this. This place was creepy and looked like something you'd see out of some old horror game. Just a few weeks ago she had been thrilled to be excepted into the ultimate academy. "No one said it was this creepy!"

_Wait! Maybe this is a dream! Just a nightmare I'm having from some stress! _Megumi quickly reached up to her left arm and pinched. Hard. She gritten her teeth softly, and felt the dread sink in again. Not a dream.

_This_ is Hope's Peak? The note on the chalkboard appeared to claim as much. But no one ever told her that it was going to be like this! Creepy, filthy classrooms and dark windows, what kind of school were they trying to run?! _What if this isn't even Hope's Peak...?_

Megumi spun around and dashed towards the door. _Please be unlocked please be unlocked please be unlo- _the thoughts raced through her head as she reached for the doorknob, but just as she turned it-

There was a soft sound, one that resembled a piece of paper getting flipped rang in the silent room behind her. Her heart seemed to to freeze as she slowly turned her head around to look behind her.

There, lying on the ground, was a piece of paper. Megumi slowly bent down to pick it up. The paper itself felt old, brittle and yellowish. What took her even more by surprise was what was the bold writing on it.

**To Megumi Akiyama, the Ultimate Magician**

Was this like some kind of sick prank? She scanned the ceiling, but found no evidence of anything that could have caused the paper to fall.

_Is this like some stupid initiation prank? Freak out the magician girl with a magically appearing paper?_

Megumi nervously began reading the contents of the letter.

"Dear miss Akiyama, we congratulate you on becoming one of the newest students at our prestigious academy. Due to an excellent recommendation, you have been chosen for a special experimental group within the academy. You-" the rest of the letter was ineligible. It was like someone had desperately scribbled out the rest of the words with black sharpie. Or paint.

She flipped the page over to discover one more message. This one was... Different. The was clearly handwritten, with sharp and desperate strokes that reminded her of the kinds of writings you'd see in an urgent message of some horror movie. The creepy kind that usually appears written in someone's blood.

**"I'm so sorry"**

"... That's it. I'm out of here. Screw this stupid academy, I don't need a stupid elite education to be a freaking magician!" She shouted and flung the door open, crumbling the note in her hands as she dashed out of the classroom.

The hallway was completely dark. Whoever was behind this clearly wanted to go all the way to freak her out, since not a single one of the lights were on. To make matters worse, the single light in her own room suddenly went out, leaving her in darkness. _Oh, heck no._ She sprinted through the halls, which wasn't the best decision while being in the dark, as she ended up running right into a wall.

Megumi fell backwards at the impact, letting out a yell as she landed on her but. "Ow..." She growned, rubbing her head.

"Are you all right miss?" A feminine voice sounded through the darkness. Megumi's head quickly spun in the direction of the voice.

"Wh-who's there?" She asked. "Are you the one behind this stupid prank? Turn the lights on!" She shouted, getting to her feet.

She could hear the girl take a few wary steps back. Her eyes were starting to adjust a bit now, and she could see a pair of hands move upwards in surrender.

"Please calm down miss. I am afraid that I am just as lost as you are. My apologies, but I am afraid I do not know what is going on." The girl spoke formally and gently. "I assume that you woke up within an old classroom as well?"

Megumi paused for a moment. _Is this another new student? So they **are** pulling some kinda prank on the newbies! _She took an annoyed breath, as some of her nerves settled. So that was it. At least she wasn't alone in the place anymore.

"Same. Did you get a creepy letter addressed to you too?"

The girl nodded her head. Megumi could now make out a head of dark hair pulled back in ponytail. She could make out a mature face of the girl, one filled with concern and wariness. She held up a piece of paper, but it was far too dark in the hallway to read what hers said.

"I did. Honestly though, who attaches a letter to a doll though? Putting something like that in such a dusty room. They could have merely left the letter on a desk..." She girl murmured disapprovingly, leaving Megumi confused.

"A doll? My letter suddenly dropped out of nowhere the second I turned the doorknob. Yours was different?"

The girl nodded quickly in answer to the question. She explained how her letter had simply been pinned to a lone doll in the center of the classroom. She holds up the doll in question, and Megumi could just make out a raggedy doll made of old fabric, with string for hair and buttoned eyes. _Kinda creepy..._ Megumi thought, giving it an uncomfortable look.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My sincerest apologies. My name is Sasaki. Ayano Sasaki. I am the ultimate doll maker. May I ask who you are?" Ayano asked, bowing her head a bit.

_Doll maker huh. Is that why she felt the need to carry that thing around with her? _Megumi kept her thought to herself, instead deciding to make her introduction. She gave a short spin before leaning into a bowing pose.

"Behold, Megumi Akiyama, Ultimate Magician!" She announced with a proud smile. Megumi always preferred to give an introduction with style. She looked up only to find Ayano's blank stare. _Aaaand my reputation has clearly not proceeded me!_

Megumi stood up straight and caughed lightly in embarrassment. Usually she got a round of applause at her introduction. Though, those were only her shows... She took a breath to ease her hurt pride. This wasn't the time for that anyway. They needed to get out of here.

"Well anyway, let's just find the exit. This place gives me the creeps." Megumi said, chuckling lightly to try to lighten the mood. Ayano nodded softly and hugged the creepy looking doll closer to her as Megumi started walking down the hall. Ayano followed closely behind her.

The duo had scarcely been walking for a minute when a scream rang out. The girl froze in their place, exchanging panicked glances. They stood motionless in the hallway for around what felt like eternity when Ayano started to creep foreword. Megumi caught her arm with a worried expression, but the other girl shrugged her off, slowly creeping towards the corner of the hall.

Megumi slowly followed, keeping close to the wall as the two girls peeked into to the hall. About two doors down, light was peeking through the cracks of a door. They could hear an angry voice shout and grumble angrily coming from the inside of the room.

"Do you think this is funny?! I swear when I get out of this I'll-" The voice broke off, throwing out a series of swears and curses.

Megumi let out the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been keeping. _Sounds like another student. I wonder how many more of us there are. _Now that she was less afraid, she moved to open the door. Both girls had to shield their eyes as the light of the room spilled into the hallway. When their eyes finally adjusted, they met a peculiar sight.

There before them, a boy was hanging upside down from the ceiling. He was desperately struggling to reach the rope rapped around his legs, but stopped when he heard them enter the room.

"Hey, help me get down from here!" He demanded, pointing at the two of them in an almost accusing manor. A pair of reddish eyes glared as Megumi and Ayano gazed at the mini contraption in the room. The rope almost seemed to loop all the way around the room, with a wheel near the center that appeared to be what caused the boy to skyrocket to the ceiling.

Ayano carefully traced a finger over a portion of the rope, curiously attempting to find a way to get him down without the boy breaking his neck. Megumi simply snickered at the sight before her. The whole prank may be creepy, but at least she hadn't been left suspended by a rope. She tried to hide her smirk as the suspended boy gave her an angry glare.

"Could you quit laughing and get me down?! I'm starting to get a headache!" The boy whined, his expression contorting to an overdramatic wince. Megumi rolled her eyes and peered up at the rope around his legs. There must be someway to get him down gently.

Suddenly Ayano gave a small gasp as the sound of snapping rope rang throughout. Megumi quickly turned her head in the direction of the doll maker when the sound of hurriedly moving rope was heard and suddenly the boy let out a scream. _Oh sh-!_

Megumi was flattened to the floor, the boy having fallen right on top of her, using her to break his fall. Ayano had apperently cut the rope, which released the boy to fall flat on his face. Or, he would have had Megumi not been standing beneath him.

"Ow..." She muttered, rubbing her right elbow. Her arms had luckily blocked any impact to her head, but it didn't keep the impact with the floor any less painful. _I shouldn't have stood theeere. _She mentally whined. Ayano hurried over to them listing off a dozen apologies a second. "How did you even manage to cut iiiit." She whined as the boy hurried off of her and she sat up.

Ayano montioned to a silver knife that she must have dropped when the boy fell. "I found that stuck in the wall. It... It was also holding up this." She murmured, holding up another letter. Megumi snatched it out of her hand and began looking it over.

**To Akira Hisakawa, the Ultimate Trapper**

She scanned the rest of the letter, seeing that the contents were very similar to hers. Same congratulations, same black splatter of half of it, the exact same place in fact. She started reading it aloud.

"'Dear mister Hisakawa, we congratulate you on becoming one of the newest students at out prestigious academy. Due to your excellent performance, you have been chosen for a special experimental group within the academy...' Cuts off in the exact same place as mine..." Megumi muttered. She flipped the the paper over, but unlike hers, there was nothing written on the back. _So not exactly the same as mine. _

"Mine says the exact same thing. Other than the name of course. It is safe to assume you are Mr. Akira Hisakawa, correct?" Ayano asked, turning to the boy in question.

The boy's eyes suddenly sharpened, as if he had some kind of revelation. He stood up, turned around and quickly dusted off his clothes before facing the girls again with a bright smile.

"Yup. You can just call me Akira though! I'm the Ultimate Trapper!" He shouted and leaned back onto a desk, as though trying to look cool.

Getting a closer look at him, Megumi was surprised that this boy was an ultimate. Akira was sickly pale, almost as white as a ghost. His messy black hair didn't look as though it had been combed in a long time, and he wore an old black hoody. He certainly didn't give off the vibe of a trapper.

"Trapper getting caught in a trap? Ironic." Megumi laughed, a smile breaking across her face.

"Please don't tell anyone about this! Just forget all about that! My reputation will be ruined!" He wailed, ghastly hands desperately scratching at his hair.

"My name is Ayano Sasaki, and this is Miss Akiyama." Ayano said, bowing slightly as she introduced the two of them.

Now that they were in a room with light, Megumi could now get a better look her companion. Ayano was much taller than she had thought, and she had long dark brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wore a white button-up shirt, with a light pink tie that matched the color of the skirt she wore. Even Megumi had to admit that she was very pretty.

"What the heck is even going on? You two aren't behind this are you?" Akira said, suddenly narrowing his eyes into a suspicious red glare. He backed away a few steps, as though on guard.

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Of course not. We woke up here, same as you." She sighed, glaring back into the dark hallway. "It's just a stupid prank from the upperclassmen." She growled.

"Never mind that. We should focus on leaving. I do not wish to be stuck in this dark school anymore..." Ayano spoke up, starting to turn back into the hallway. She paused next to the door, turning back towards Akira and Megumi with a calm expression. "We may file complaints once we are outside."

Megumi puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, but followed Ayano out the door. The sound of shuffling footsteps and quiet grumbles told her that Akira was following as well. The trio slowly made their way through a few more dark hallways, until they reached the end of a passageway. At the far wall they could see a bright light shining through the cracks of two large doors.

"Heck yeah! That's gotta be the way out!" Megumi grinned and took off running towards the light.

"Race you there Megumi!" She could here someone running behind her, Ayano's distant call for them to come back allowed her to conclude that it was Akira. She practically crashed the door down as she and Akira rushed through the doors, both ending up falling right on their face as they crashed to the ground.

"Looks like there's even more of us." A feminine voice muttered from somewhere above them. Megumi's head shot up, finding herself surrounded by more students, each looking at the pair on the floor with either concern or annoyance.

"Miss Akiyama! Mr. Hisakawa! Are you both alright?" Ayano asked, quickly rushing to their sides.

_I've fallen way to many times today._ Megumi thought, her mind wailing at the unfairness of today. She moves to sit on her knees as Akira got to his feet as she looked at the other students.

She counted anout thirteen of them, sixteen if she counted herself and her two companions. A girl with long black hair stepped forward with a worried look, reaching a hand out to help Megumi up. She accepted the help, and stood up. _Have I seen her before?_

"And who might you three be?" Another voice asked, accusation dripping from each word. Megumi turned to see... A girl with the exact same face as the one that helped her.

"Clones?!" She shrieked, leaping backwards at a speed that she never thought possible. Was this magic?! But she was the ultimate magician! The girl rolled her eyes as she let out an annoyed hiss.

"Twins, idiot. Are you really that stupid?" She asked, arms folded and expression fitting a natural scowl. "Guess the saying about dumb blondes is true."

"What?!"

The rude girl's hair was much shorter than the other's but their uniforms were a matching dark blue. Personally, she didn't think it was foolish to think to jump to cloning first. Anyone could make that mistake. Yup, anyone.

"Makoto, please stop. They just hit their heads on the floor!" The girl with the longer hair pleaded. "Are you two alright?" She asked, glancing over the duo as if searching for visible injuries.

"Uh, we're fine..." Megumi answered awkwardly, retreating a few steps closer to Ayano. She was used to crowds, but not ones that gave her the kind of looks she was receiving.

"Oh thank goodness! It would have been terrible if you had been injured! My name is Kokona Yukimura. It's a please to meet you!" Kokona said, smiling brightly at them.

"Wait, Kokona Yukimura? The actress? I've seen a couple of your movies!" Megumi gasped, realizing where she had recognized her from. Kokona Yukimura was a popular actress that had been in multiple blockbusters despite her young age. It was said that any movie she was in was destined to be a hit.

Kokona blushed shyly as her gaze dropped to the floor. "That's right, I was accepted to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Actress." She said, fidgeting her hands.

Her sister, Makoto, simply glared at her with a look of disgust. "I don't even know why they gave you that title. You're too stupid to even enter this school." She spat, her words dripping with resentment.

Kokona visibly flinched at her sister's words, as Ayano stepped infront of the Ultinate Actress.

"That was uncalled for." She said, matching Makoto's glare eye-for-eye. The staring contest between the two finally ended with Makoto looking away, a few curses muttered as she stormed away.

_Rude. _Megumi thought, glaring after her as Ayano tried consoling Kokona.

Megumi had heard of the younger sister as well. Makoto Yukimura, the younger twin of Kokona Yukimura. While her sister had a talent in acting, Makoto thrived in the world of sports. She had read somewhere that the girl had been scouted by multiple soccer teams. It would be a safe guess that her title would be Ultimate Soccer Player if she was also attending Hope's Peak.

_Didn't think she'd be that mean though. How dare she insult me?!_

"It's probably safe to assume that you three woke up in abandoned classrooms too, right? With a letter?" A stern faced boy asked. His hair was brown, and he wore what Megumi could only guess was an old-timey tan trench coat.

_Dude looks like he came right out of an old-timey detective noir film._

Megumi nodded her head, and the boy put his hand to his chin, looking deeply in thought. "As I expected. Each of us woke up in an abandoned room with an admittance letter..."

"Uh, can I ask who the heck are you?" Megumi asked. The boy didn't even gave her a glance of acknowledgement, simply looking contemplative. Surprisingly, it was Akira who answered her.

"His name is Kyosuke Itou. We go way back." He gave a tired sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "We've crossed paths due to our talents. I've helped on a few of his cases."

"Cases?"

"He's the Ultinate Detective."

_Well, that sort of explains the outfit. He really committed to the bit huh?_

"Why would _you_ be helping a detective?" She asked, turning to look suspiciously at Akira.

"I never specified what it was that I trapped." Akira said, giving a victorious and proud smirk.

"It was more like you constantly got in our way." Kyosuke said coldly. "I can't count the number of times you caught officer's in your traps rather than the criminal."

"H-hey, don't tell them that!"

While the two were arguing, Megumi felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a tall, tanned boy smiling at her. His expression was bright and friendly, giving off a more relaxed aura than the other students that she'd met. "Yo, my name's Shoma Tachibana." Shoma put his hand out, offering a handshake. "I'm the Ultimate Archer. What about you?"

Megumi cleared her thought, and did a quick twirl as she bowed slightly. "Feast your eyes, for I am Megumi Akiyama, the Ultimate Magician!" She announced, smirk on her face.

"Wow, I'm sooo impressed." Someone mocked. Megumi whipped around to see another boy trying to hold back his laughter. "I'm sorry but- *snicker- that was just so dumb."

Megumi sent him a hateful glare, as Shoma chided the other boy. He had blond hair, and green eyes with a grin that just made Megumi want to hit him.

"Hey, Ayato, lay off a bit." Shoma muttered. The boy, Ayato, ignored him, continuing his taunts.

"You _do_ know that magic doesn't exist right?" She boy laughed, doubling over a bit now that he had stopped trying to hold back his cackling.

"Of course I know that! I said that I'm a magician not a wizard you stupid little sh-!"

"Miss Akiyama!" Ayano shouted, censoring her with a disapproving look. Megumi huffed and turned her head away. She didn't have to deal with this.

"We'll Miss Party Tricks, my name is Ayato Watanabe, and I have a _real_ talent. I'm the Ultimate hypnotist."

"Hypnotism? _That's _what you'reso proud of?" Megumi growled under her breath, before her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a second, _what_ did you just call me?! Being a magician is more than _party tricks!_" She hissed angrily.

"Can we all just please calm down?" Ayano pleaded as she put herself in between them.

"Uh, I think magic sounds cool! Maybe you can show us a trick when we leave here!" Shoma said with an awkward smile, joining Ayano's attempt to ease the tension between the two students.

"Maybe." Megumi grumbled, stomping away from the two boys. She could hear Ayano giving a quick apology before she hurried to catch up to her.

She finally stopped when she got to the other end of the room, and took a deep breath. She glanced around a bit and for the first time actually saw the room she was in. It was big, and looked like a gymnasium. There were a pair of bleachers on both sides, and what looked like a stage at the far end. Most of the students there were cluttered into groups around the gym, discussing things within their own groups.

"Have you calmed down a bit, miss?" Ayano asked her, eyeing her worriedly. "Please try not to pick any more fights with the other students. You will develop a difficult reputation with them before school has even begun."

Megumi gave a long sigh before nodding. "Sure, whatever. I just want to go home." _I'm gonna kill whoever's behind this. This is _so _not cool._

"I believe we all long for home..." A voice murmured behind them, causing both girls to flinch and spin around.

A boy with short, dark reddish hair and a black hood stood silently before him. He had heavy looking bags under his eyes, and... Didn't even appear to be looking at them as he spoke.

"It is quite the odd fate that we have found ourselves tied to. Where will this string guide is to I wonder..." The boy said. He appeared to be speaking to himself, but then he turned and looked at the two girl. "What do you think?"

"Uh..."

"Haruto! Stop with the creepy staring!" A girl ordered, marching over with another girl in tow.

The first girl had a disapproving look on her face. Her hair was tied back into two red pigtails. Her outfit looked to be some kind of waitress uniform. The second girl was dressed in a black shirt and thin black pants, and her white hair kept very short.

"Sorry about him. We woke up in nearby classrooms, so we've been keeping an eye on him." The first girl sighed, hands on her head. "My name is Rin Shimizu, ultimate waitress. This weirdo is Mister Haruto Yuki."

"I am the ultimate of disposing of the deceased." Haruto murmured, bowing his head respectfully.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The ultimate gravedigger. He's the ultimate gravedigger." The white hair girl clarified hurridly. "Scared the heck out of us too when we met him. Actually, no. It's still really creepy. I'm Haruka Saito. Ultimate thief, yadda yadda and all that jazz."

"It is very nice to meet you." Ayano said, dipping her head respectfully to the trio.

"Uh, what she said." Megumi muttered awkwardly. Haruto was still staring at them... Or was he staring through them? Either way, he was creeping her out.

"If you do not mind me asking, how long have all of you been here?" Ayano asked, looking at the odd trio of students before them.

"We arrived probably... At least fifteen minutes before you arrived." The girl named Rin recalled, eyes drifting towards the ceiling as she recalled the past half hour. "Most of the other students arrived by that point. From what they've said, I think almost everyone found themselves located near two other students."

"Almost?" Megumi questioned, raising an eyebrow couriously.

"Yes. The short boy... I think he said his name was Kobayashi? He arrived before you two and the black haired boy. He was by himself." Haruka answered, pointing to the far corner of the gym where a boy stood by himself.

"He does not wish to interact with the others." Haruto answered, finally swerving his gaze to look over at the boy. Megumi relaxed a bit now that the gravedigger moved his eyes away to someone else.

_So everyone arrived in groups of three? That may explain some of the groups. So I got paired with Ayano and Akira. But why was this "Kobayashi" by himself?_

"Hey, Ayano, stay here for a second." Megumi said with a sly grin as she skipped over towards the boy in the far corner.

"Miss Akiyama, what are you up to?" Ayano called suspiciously, but Megumi didn't respond.

As she approached the Kobayashi, his head spin towards her direction. He glared at her with distrust in his eyes, but Megumi simply offered a smile.

They weren't kidding when they said he was short. Kobayashi was at least a head shorter than herself, and he looked young. Younger than the rest of them at least. His uniform looked a few sizes too big as well, seeing as his jacket was much longer than his arms. It made him look even younger. He was a kid, and Megumi knew how to deal with kids.

"Hey, hey! Pst! You're Kobayashi right? Wanna see a magic trick?" She grinned.

Kobayashi simply stared at her silently. He was probably sizing her up, trying to figure out what she wanted.

She took a deck of cards out of her vest pocket. She didn't have any of her supplies to do any of her really good tricks, but she always made sure to have some good old fashioned cards with her.

"Pick a card, any card!" She smiled, offering the deck out to him. Kobayashi stared at them for a few moments before hesitantly taking a card from the deck. "Now look at the card and put it back in the deck." As the boy did so, Megumi offered and innocent smile as she turned back towards the group of students watching her.

"Hey, Rin, can you come over here please?" She called out. Kobayashi seemed startled, and jumped back in surprise. After a confused pause, Rin slowly made her way across the gym. When she finally reached them she shot Megumi a confused look, as Megumi turned back toward the boy infront of them. "Rin, can you dig through your pockets for a second?" She requested, a smug look on her face.

Rin slowly did as she was told, and she suddenly paused as she felt something. She took it out, and looked bewildered as she took out a single card.

"How did this get th-" she was cut off as Megumi snatched the card from her hand and showed it to Kobayashi.

"Is _this_ your card?" She asked triumphantly as the boy's eyes widened. He snatched the card from her hand and surveyed it top to bottom.

"How did you do that?" Kobayashi spoke for the first time. "That was incredibly improbable."

"Not impossible. Magic. And a magician never reveals her tricks."

Rin still looked lost as Ayano walked over to the group. "Megumi, what's going on?"

"Oh, I'm just giving a demonstration of my mystical and wonderful abilities to Kobayashi here." Megumi said, offering a bow as if accepting praise.

"How'd you know what card I'd pick? Is the deck filled with the same card?" Kobayashi asked, still not satisfied with Megumi's explanation.

"No, it's magic. No cheating here." She smiled, showing the deck of cards. Indeed, it appeared as if there were no traps to them.

"Now that I've shown you a trick, why don't you share something with us too? I'm Megumi, the greatest magician in the world!"

The boy silently stared at her with his mouth agape for a few seconds before closing it and turning his head away slightly, as if pondering something.

It felt like a lifetime had passed before he quietly responded. "Jun Kobayashi. Call me Kobayashi."

_I did it! Ice: broken!_ Megumi congratulated herself.

"Got a talent to go with the name?" She asked couriously. She had to admit, she was _really_ curious on what the short boy's ultimate could be. And if it had something to do with the oversized school uniform he wore.

Kobayashi's expression hardened a bit, and he looked away again. "Nothing that concerns you." He said dismissively.

Megumi was about to object, but Ayano spoke up first.

"I understand. We will respect your privacy, but do you mind is asking a few other questions mister Kobayashi? When you woke up, were you all alone? There were not any students in the rooms near yours?"

Kobayashi was silent for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "The first time I met a person here was when I came to the gym."

"Why'd they leave you by yourself?" Megumi thought aloud. It didn't make a lot of sense to leave him all by himself.

_Did they do that to him because he's the youngest? Or just because there wasn't enough for another group of three. But couldn't they have just made groups of four?_

_"_Don't ask me. Ask whoever is behind this." Kobayashi muttered.

They asked him a few more questions, but he never elaborated further on any of his answers. Ayano and Megumi then bid farewell to him. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement as they left.

"Hey, I think I left a better impression this time." Megumi gloated as the duo were out of earshot.

Ayano was silent for a few moments, glancing back towards the boy who had returned to his solitude. She narrowed her eyes slightly, before turning away.

"I do not believe that mister Kobayashi trusts us."

Megumi paused, her expression contorting in confusion. "Huh? Well of course he doesn't."

Ayano looked surprised. "You realized?"

"Of course I did. I'd have to be blind not to see how he was looking at us. But I still think I broke some of that wall though. Wouldn't have told us anything if I didn't." Megumi said. She looked away and spotted a final group of students.

"Well, we may as well make our way through the rest of the group." She laughed quietly before making her way towards the last of the students.

The final group was made up of four students, Two boys and two girls. The tallest boy wore a lot of camouflage. It was actually a striking difference when compared to the other boy, who was dressed in more formal clothes. One of the girls was dressed elegantly, in a flowery blue dress, and a crown of flowers on her head. The final student was a shorter, plump girl with a pink apron that matched her hair color.

Megumi skipped up to them with a wave and a bright smile. "Hello! I'm Megumi. I am also stuck in this stupid prank. What are your names?" She greeted.

All four faces swiveled in her direction, and she felt her smile become a bit more awkward. _Ok, maybe that was a bit too cringy of a greeting._

The flowery girl flashed her a gentle smile, and she felt her sudden tension lesson a bit.

"Greetings Megumi. I'm Yakari Kimura. I'm the ultimate florist." She greeted with a dip of her head. A florist. That explained the flower theme...

Yukari held a gentle smile that seemed natural and genuine.

The tall boy that was covered head-to-toe in camouflage took a step forward. "I'm Sora Ikeda! You can call me Sora though!" He said with a wide grin."I'm a hunter. If you have any troubles, feel free to ask me for help!"

_Ultimate Florist and Ultimate Hunter huh... They both seem really nice..._

"Well, I am Hideki Yamada. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have the title of Ultimate Violinist." The other boy greeted then. He looked more refined in comparison to the more earthly dressed companions. "Do either of y-"

"And I'm Ai! Ai Suzuki to be more exact. If you couldn't tell, I'm the ultimate baker!"the final student, Ai, cut Hideki's question off with her own introduction. Hideki himself looked annoyed, but remained quiet. "If you ever have any meal requests, I can help you out!"

"It is nice to meet you all." Ayano greeted with a bow.

"Yeah, great to meet you!"

"Attention everyone! Can we all gather around please?" A voice called out. It was the ultimate detective, Kyosuke Itou. He stood in the center of the gym, waiting for everyone to gather around him.

Megumi glanced towards Ayano, who only shrugged. They followed the other students who gathered around Kyosuke. As they got to the ring of students, Akira rejoined the two with a quick wave. Kobayashi stayed a few feet away from the others, but otherwise near the group meeting that the detective had called them to.

"Alright, we need to find the exit to this school. Does anyone have an idea where the school entrance is?" Kyosuke asked. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one spoke up.

"Alright, then we're just going to have to make our way through the dark. We need to get out of here and figure out who brought us here." He sighed.

"Actually, I know the way out." A higher pitched voice called out. Sixteen students quickly turned around to find... A small black-and-white rabbit plushy.

"Is that a doll?" Megumi asked, confused. _How did that get there? And who said that?_

Ayano stepped closer to the rabbit and began reaching for it, when Kyosuke suddenly called out.

"Don't touch that!"

Ayano flinched and jumped back, turning to look at him with a confused expression. She opened her mouth to ask something when the voice spoke up again.

"You should probably listen to the detective. It's rude to touch your headmaster without permission."

That... Sounded like it was coming from the rabbit.

"Did that toy just say something?" Shoma asked aloud, mirroring what Megumi was wondering.

"How rude! I'm not a toy! I'm your teacher! I'm Shadow Usagi! Welcome to my game!"

**\--**

**Thank you for reading! **


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